My Writing Cave

Happy New Year, fans of all that is mysterious, supernatural, and thrilling! For my first blog of 2018 I thought it might be interesting to you to see the space where I create . . . and so I present . . . My Writing Cave.

I am fortunate to own a gorgeous, dark wood desk (mahogany, maybe?) as the mainstay of my office space. We bought this piece in Hickory, NC, about ten years ago when we lived there. I fell in love with it instantly, but it was way over my budget. My husband (indulgent and supportive creature that he is), insisted that “If you’re going to be a writer, you need a writer’s desk.” It weighs a ton, takes up an entire wall, and gathers clutter like lint to dry velvet. But I love it, and wouldn’t give it up for the world.

My present workspace features a beloved Macbook Pro laptop and a large, auxiliary monitor, along with an ergonomic keyboard (had to undergo carpal tunnel syndrome surgery on both years a few years back. Don’t want to do that again!).

The office is long and narrow, with a brick fireplace along one long wall (the one opposite my desk). I’ve decorated it with my favorite things: a framed page from a Medieval manuscript, a gargoyle candle holder, an old photograph of somebody I never knew (but who might end up in one of my novels someday), a water globe with a raven perched on a stack of books.

I have one window, which today is looking out over a snowy back yard (it’s 8 degrees Fahrenheit here as I write this). On the opposite short wall, my beloved angelfish live in their giant tank, and the bubbling of their filter soothes me. In the corner I proudly display a gift from a cherished friend: a framed poster featuring the covers of all the books I’ve published to date.

And then, there’s the nook. I transformed the tiny closet into a reading nook, which, although a little too small to be enjoyed by an adult, makes the perfect spot for my grandson to tuck himself away with a book . . . or his iPad. =/  I strongly encourage the former.

For Christmas this year I received two outstanding additions to my collection of weirdities. “Santa” brought me something I’ve been asking for for years: a dragon’s egg. I love this thing. Every time my grandson comes into my office he has to touch it and ask, “Grandma, are you sure this isn’t real?” It sits atop a mouse pad that my daughter gave me for Christmas, featuring adorable pics of us with my grandson.

The other gift came from my son and his gal—an electric candle that whirls tiny spiders around in its watery cell. I’d never seen anything like this before, and was thrilled when I opened it. It runs on AA batteries. I need to buy stock in Duracell, because this thing is going to run A LOT.

This is also the son who, knowing his mother’s special affection for spiders (I believe they are good luck), gifted me with a spider necklace made of blue sapphires a few years back. It’s still one of my favorite pieces.

So there you have it. My writing cave. The place where all the magic happens. The place where I’m now working on my next Haunted Voices novel, CIVIL HEARTS. This ghostly tale is set in an antebellum home in rural, western Alabama—a place I actually visited at one time. The idea for the book came to me several months ago. In a dream.

Be on the lookout for CIVIL HEARTS in early 2018.

I do believe in magic, you know? I try to infuse every one of my books with it. I hope I succeed.

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Claire Gem writes supernatural suspense that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. Join her Author-Reader group here, and be the first to know when the next Haunted Voices novel is due for release!